Saucy Mouth Landed, Opening Window of Opportunity
The original Saucy Mouth food truck was born in June 2018 and provided delicious food in the happening entrepreneurial outport community of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Their internationally inspired menu of gourmet street fries and flavourful rice bowls proved popular with both local foodies and finicky tourists alike. The business was a summer hit!
Wanting to keep the momentum going from their successful launch, business partners Allyson Howse and Brad Gover brainstormed ways to keep Saucy Mouth operating throughout the winter. The pair trialed the market in the capital city of St. John’s, operating their food truck at several fall and winter community events. However, the real opportunity presented itself in the form of a craft brewery preparing to open in the metro region.
While travelling, Allyson had stumbled upon the idea of indoor food truck markets, a concept she was excited to explore back home. Having seen food trucks co-locating within craft breweries on the mainland, the business partners decided to cold-call local breweries to discuss partnership opportunities. This bold move found Saucy Mouth its match – Landwash Brewery, which had already been thinking about bringing such an initiative to life.
However, bringing a food truck indoors was not as easy as simply engaging the parking brake. The first of its kind in the province, Saucy Mouth’s new indoor status forced Allyson and Brad to explore uncharted territory when it came to regulations. Luckily, their proposed location was within the city of Mount Pearl. The business partners credit open-minded and solution-focused city staff with making their new concept possible.
By moving their food truck into Landwash Brewery, Saucy Mouth saved the overhead, capital costs, and long-term commitment of a commercial kitchen. However, the decision was not without its costs. Locating indoors meant the truck had to be immobilized and put-up on blocks. Infrastructure for ventilation and propane delivery had to be installed, and the brewery location meant a negative air pressure isolation system was required. All in all, what was originally envisioned to be a temporary winter solution began to make more sense as a permanent, second location. And, for that, they would require a second food truck.
Allyson and Brad had worked with their local CBDC office – CBDC Eastern Initiatives – to get the initial financing and support to open Saucy Mouth in Bonavista. The great experience left the duo wanting to work with them again for their expansion. However, CBDC Eastern Initiatives was unable to help finance the second truck in the city, as it would be outside their organization’s geographical area and rural mandate. Luckily, their Development Officer knew that the CBDC’s had a partner organization serving urban entrepreneurs. A quick phone call was all it took to refer Allyson and Brad to Metro Business Opportunities.
Working closely with MBO’s Lisa Guy, the business partners were able to secure an Impact start-up loan, allowing them to purchase a second food truck to set-up in the Mount Pearl brewery.
Now opened for several months, the combination of Saucy Mouth and Landwash Brewery has been delighting the bellies and taste buds of patrons. Business has been booming, leaving both brewery and food truck struggling to meet the demand. The new partnership is symbiotic, with Landwash Brewery ensuring their customers have a food option to keep them staying longer, and Saucy Mouth benefitting from access to the brewery’s hungry and hip clientele. However, the biggest take-away from their success should be that one can always identify new business opportunities, if you just think outside the box.